African big 5 animals in Uganda

African big 5 animals in Uganda; Uganda is one of the destinations that offers tourists an opportunity to view the Africa big 5 animals which include lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos. The word African big 5 is a term that was used some time back by ancient hunters referring to the most dangerous, challenging and fierce animals to hunt on foot. The Africa big 5 animals in Uganda can be spotted during the game drives in the savannah national parks that is Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Kidepo valley national park.

The African big 5 animals in Uganda and where you can find them

Rhinos

Uganda is a home of about 32 white rhinos which are only found at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary located in Nakasongola district. Ziwa rhino sanctuary was established in 2005 due to the fact that rhinos were getting extinct as a result of poaching. Rhinos in Uganda can be seen during rhino tracking at Ziwa rhino sanctuary which takes about 1 to 2 hours walk depending on where the rhinos are located.  The sanctuary is located on the Gulu highway and can be accessed by tourists travelling to Murchison falls national park and Kidepo valley national park.

Elephants

The African Elephant is the world’s largest land mammal and one of the big 5 animals in Uganda. Elephants are herbivores which mainly eat leaves, grass, barks, fruits and have a gestation period of 22 months. Elephants are social animals that are recognized by their trunk which is used for communication and handling objects. Uganda is a home of two types of elephants that is the savannah elephants which are found in savannah national parks like Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Kidepo valley national park and the forest elephants which are found in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Kibale forest national park.

Buffaloes

The African cape buffalo is the commonly seen animal in Uganda. Buffaloes are grampy, unpredictable and the most dangerous of the big 5 animals. Cape buffaloes have curved horns which help to distinguish their age and sex for example adult males have horns which meet in the middle of the head joined by a hard shield and females buffaloes have narrow and smaller horns. Cape buffaloes are found in all the savannah national park in Uganda that is lake Mburo national park, Kidepo valley national park, Murchison falls national park and Queen Elizabeth national park.

Lions

The African lion also known as the king of the jungle is the largest cat and most dangerous big 5 animal in Uganda. African Lions live in prides of about 5 to 15 members including males, females and young ones. Male lions defend the pride by marking the area with urine and female lions are leaders or hunters of the pride and take care of their cubs until they are about a year old. African lions in Uganda can be spotted during the game drive in three savannah national park namely Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Kidepo valley national park. Queen Elizabeth national park also harbors the famous tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector which will be seen lying in acacia/fig tree branches.

Leopards

Among the African big 5 animals in Uganda, leopards are smallest, Leopards are solitary and predominantly nocturnal animals that spend most of their night hunting for prey and sleep in trees during the day. Female leopards give birth to two or three cubs and she takes care of them and teaches them how to hunt for about two years. Leopard in Uganda can be seen during the game drives in savannah national parks like Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Lake Mburo national park and Kidepo valley national park. For a better chance of spotting the lions, you can engage in a night game drive in Lake Mburo national park, Murchison falls national park and Queen Elizabeth national park as lions are usually active at night.

Best time to see the African big 5 animals in Uganda

The African big 5 animals in Uganda can be seen all year round though the best time is during the dry season which is also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the national parks therefore vegetation will be short which allows you to view the big 5 and other wildlife species clearly.

For breathtaking and memorable experiences on the safari, you can combine the big 5 safari in Uganda with gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park or chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park. For more information about the African big 5 animals in Uganda, you can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website to book an affordable big 5 safari.